Ecoist and Frito-Lay Announce Partnership and Launch a New Collection of Handbags Made from Repurposed Frito-Lay Packaging

Miami, FL (April 1, 2010) – Ecoist (www.ecoist.com), the eco-friendly handbag company, has signed a licensing agreement with Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo, to manufacture and market a line of handbags made from unusable or obsolete packaging from Frito-Lay brands, including LAYS® potato chips, DORITOS® tortilla chips, CHEETOS® cheese flavored snacks, FRITOS® corn chips and SUNCHIPS® multigrain snacks. The collection will launch on April 1st, in celebration of Earth Month.

Ecoist will transform the old packaging into stylish, functional, durable and eye-catching designs. The handbags are made using the company’s intricate pattern-making and weaving method in which the labels are cut, folded, woven and sewn together by hand.
The limited-edition Frito-Lay collection is comprised of best selling silhouettes re-imagined in the iconic brand images of Frito-Lay. Using graphical elements of the labels in distinctive and unexpected ways, the new Ecoist Frito-Lay handbags feature easily recognizable brand images as well as abstract graphic prints. Prices range from $22 to $148 and the collection will be sold through Ecoist’s network of retailers and on Ecoist.com.

“At Frito-Lay, we continue to look for ways to reduce waste. Ecoist is an ideal partner to help transform landfill-bound materials into products that change the way people see waste,” said Reggie Nayar, Senior Industry Manager Recycling and Sustainability. The Ecoist Frito-Lay collection highlights Ecoist’s ongoing commitment to helping corporations reduce waste while creating fashionable products people want to own.
“Ecoist is proud to partner with Frito-Lay, they have shown great dedication to production practices that are mindful of the environment and sustainable,” says Ecoist co-founder Jonathan Marcoschamer.

Ecoist produces its products with fair trade manufacturers in Peru and employs skilled artisans who earn fair wages for their craft. As part of Ecoist’s commitment to environmental preservation, Ecoist and Frito-Lay will plant a tree for every product sold.

About Ecoist

Founded in 2004, Ecoist develops fashion accessories for the eco-minded individual. The company’s objective is to merge design with social and environmental consciousness to provide stylish, functional, and durable products that people will love to own.
Ecoist is known for its line of handbags made from recycled candy wrappers, food packages, and soda labels and its growing list of partners such as Coca-Cola, Mars, Frito-Lay, Disney, AVEDA, and Cliff Bar, among others.
As part of its commitment to environmental restoration, Ecoist plants a tree for every handbag sold.